Roll shaft



Feb. 9, 1932. c. H. SIPE ETAL ROLL SHAFT Filed Oct. 28,- 1930 M IwNTOR W J 1 {9m m xm' Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES A ENT oFFIc E CARL H. SIPE AND FREDERICK S. SNYDER,- OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA, SIGNQRS TO DEMMIE T. SIPE, OF LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA ROLL SHAFT Application and October 28, 1930. Serial No. 491,674.

. Our invention relates in general to means for securing a wheel or roll to the revolving shaft and, in particular, to such means as applied to furnace conveyor shafts equipped with rolls for conveying sheets through a heat treating furnace. At the present time,

it is known to employ a hollow shaft journalled for rotation in the walls of the heat treating furnace and to equip the shaft with 30 a plurality .of discs or rolls which serve, in

cooperation with rolls on other shafts similarlyequipped, to convey sheets continuously through the furnace. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in providing a rigid and tight connection between the shafts of the furnace conveyor and the rolls or discs thereon. It has been the practice to employ the usual type of key for this purpose and the rolls have also been provided with set screws by which they might be clamped to the shaft. In addition, it has also been proposed to secure the rolls on the shafts. All of these methods for securing the roll to the shaft have been found objectionable. Keys or set screws are not satisfactory because the conveyors are subject to rapid and frequent acceleration, so that the least looseness is multiplied until the rolls are almost free on the shafts. The welding is objectionable be cause it is impossible to remove a defective roll after a series of rolls have been welded to a shaft.

We have invented means for securing the rolls to the shafts, which eliminates the foregoing objections to the known methods. According to the invention, we rovide the roll shafts with a plurality of ugs projecting from the surface thereof, and preferably. formed integrally therewith. The discs or rolls have the usual shaft receiving openings and in these openings-we form a plurality of slots. Some of the slots are dimensioned so that the lugs on the shafts mav oass freelv therethrough. Other slots are dimensioned so that they will make a tight fit with the lugs. In order to dispose the rolls on the shafts, we aline the larger slots in the sh aft receiving openings of the rolls with the shaft lugs and shift the rolls axially of the shaft. The slots being wider than the lugs, this shift may be easily efiected. When the rolls have been properly located on the shaft, we then aline the smaller slots with the lugs and, by pressing or otherwise, force the rolls home. There results a rigid and secure mounting of the rolls on the shaft. The rigidity of the mounting is not affected by rapid and frequent acceleration of the shaft and at the same time, it is easily possible to remove a defective roll or a number of rolls for repair or replacement. If it is desired to make the mounting of the rolls even more rigid, we provide for spot welding the rolls to the lugs.

For a complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrating a present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing a roll shaft having the invention embodied therein;

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line H-H of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line IIIIH of Figure 1 showing the loosely fittng slots in alinement with the shaft lugs, an

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 showing the tightly fitting slots in alinement with the shaft lugs.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a hollow shaft 10 having journals 11 is adapted to be supported in suitable bearings in the walls of a heat treating furnace. The shaft may be driven by any suitable means, not shown. The shaft 10 is provided with diametrically opposite radially projecting lugs 12, which are spaced along the length of the shaft. Conveying rolls 13 are adapted to be support ed on the shaft and to rotate therewith. Each roll is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite slots 14 which are dimensioned so as to permit the roll to be slid axially of the shaft without engaging the lugs 12. The rolls 13 are likewise provided with a narrower set of slots 15 which are dimensioned so that they fit the lugs 12tightly.

In order to position the rolls properly on the shafts, they may be applied thereto from either or both ends, with the slots 14 alined with the lugs 12. Under these conditions, the rolls may be slid axially of the shaft very easily. When the rolls have been positioned properly, they are then rotated so as to bring the slots 15 into alinement with the lugs 12. The discs can only be rotated, of course, while they are positioned between adjacent lugs 12. When the slots 15 have been alined with the lugs, a simple pressing operation will bring the roll home to its final position in which the tight engagement of the recesses 15 with the lugs 12 firmly locks the roll to the shaft as an integral part thereof.

By mounting the rolls on the shafts in the manner described, we avoid all the difiiculties characteristic of previous constructions. N0 looseness in the mounting of the rolls on the shafts develops, even though the latter is subjected to frequent and rapid acceleration. There are no locking or set screws to become loosened and it is not necessary to weld the rolls to the shaft. The rolls may, therefore, be readily removed from the shaft in case one of them develops a defect.

Even though welding of the rolls to the shaft is not essential, a spot weld may be made as an added precaution, and we prefer to provide the lugs 12 with grooves 16 for facilitating the spot welding.

Although we have illustrated and described but a single preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that other forms of construction than-that herein disclosed may be resorted to without sacrificing the advantages set forth. The embodiment disclosed, therefore, is not to constitute a limitation upon the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with a furnace roll shaft having a-plurality of keys disposed axially thereon, of a plurality of rolls having slots for receiving said keys whereby the rolls are rigidly secured to the shaft, said rolls also having slotslarger than said keys to facilitate axial movement of the rolls along the shaft.

2. A roll conveyor comprising a shaft and rolls spaced along the length thereof, said shaft having axially alined, spaced keys formed integral therewith, said rolls having a recess tightly fitting over said keys and a recess larger than the keys.

3. A conveyor unit comprising a shaft, a plurality of rolls carried thereby, said shaft having spaced projections on its surface, and said rolls having shaft receiving openings provided with slots fitting said projections tightly and loosely, respectively.

4. In a roll shaft, a plurality of spaced lugs, and rolls having recesses fitting said lugs loosely and tightly whereby axial movement of the rolls on the shaft and rigid mounting of the rolls on the shaft are facilitated.

5. In combination, ashaft having spaced projecting lugs, and discs adapted to be mounted on said shaft, said discs having shaft receiving openings provided with loosely and tightly fitting recesses for receiving said lugs.

6. The combination with a roll shaft having spaced lugs on the surface thereof, of rolls having shaft receiving openings, and separate slots formed in said openings for tightly and loosely receiving said lugs, respectively.

. 7. Means for securing discs to a shaft comprising lugs on the shaft and recesses in a shaft receiving opening in said discs, one of said recesses fitting said lugs loosely and another fitting the lugs tightly.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

CARL H. SIPE. FREDERICK S. SNYDER. 

